Steam removal apparatus for discharge stack

ABSTRACT

Portions of metal members having high thermal conductivity extend inwardly of a stack with other portions thereof extending outwardly of stack and out of contact with steam and other gaseous products conveyed by the stack reducing temperature of the inwardly extending portions by conduction of heat to other portions. Collector means receives water condensed onto the inwardly extending portions and discharge means removes water from the collector means.

United States Patent 1191 Hathorn STEAM REMOVAL APPARATUS FOR DISCHARGESTACK [76] Inventor: Roy C. Hathom, PO. Box 1806,

Anniston, Ala. 36201 [22] Filed: Sept. 23, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 183,088

[ Aug. 14, 1973 ri 'y ymin rrz m N a AttorneyHugh P. Carter and WoodfordR. Thompson, Jr.

[ ABSTRACT Portions of metal members having high thermal conductivityextend inwardly of a stack with other portions thereof extendingoutwardly of stack and out of contact with steam and other gaseousproducts conveyed by the stack reducing temperature of the inwardlyextending [56] References Cited portions by :ongiuction of theat:ctodotherdporttiozs}; Colec or mean r ce1ves wa er n ense on o e 1n-UNITED STATES PATENTS wardly extending portions and discharge means re-Ryan n moves water from the collectar means 1,848,334 3/1932 Fedeler55/260 2,925,144 2/1960 Kroll 55/444 4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures Z I I Tf 1 r 7 L A 3 72 1 Q 7 31 M Z/ /6 /Z Patented Aug. 14,1973 3,751,884

INVENTOR.

Roy 6. Ha thorn BY M,&%

Attorneys STEAM REMOVAL APPARATUS FOR DISCHARGE STACK BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION This invention relates to steam removal apparatus for adischarge stack and more particularly to the removal of steam from adischarge stack carrying steam and other gaseous products.

As is well known in the art to which my invention relates, difficultieshave been encounteed in removing steam from furnace discharge stacks,such as cupolas using air pollution control systems. That is, whileeffective means has been devised for removing solid particles from agaseous stream, no satisfactory method has been proposed forcontinuously removing steam from a moving stream comprising steam andother gaseous products.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with my present invention,I remove steam continuously from the discharge stack by providing metalmembers having high thermal conductivity and support such metal membersfrom the stack with one portion thereof extending inwardly of the stackin position to be contacted by the steam and other gaseous products andwith another portion thereof extending outwardly of the stack and out ofcontact with the steam and other gaseous products. The temperature ofthe portion extending inwardly of the stack is reduced by conduction ofheat to the other portion of the metal member which extends outwardly ofthe stack whereby steam is condensed into water onto the portion whichextends inwardly of the stack. Collector means within the stack receivesthe water condensed onto the inwardly extending portions and dischargemeans removes water from the collector means.

Apparatus embodying features of my invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, forming a part of this application, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view showing my improved apparatus associated witha discharge stack;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken generally along the line 22 ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view showing a modified form of my invention; and,

FIG. 4 is a view taken generally along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

Referring now to the drawing for a better understanding of my invention,I show a discharge stack 10, which may be a discharge stack for an airpollution control system of a furnace, such as a cupola. As shwon inFIG. 2, openings 11 are provided in the sides of the discharge stack forreceiving elongated metal mem bers 12 having high thermal conductivity,such as aluminum rods. Mounted between each metal member 12 and theopening 11 in the discharge stack 10 is an annular member 13 formed ofan insulation material whereby the members 12 are insulated from thestack 11, thus reducing the transfer of heat from the stack 10 to themetal members 12.

The inner ends 14 of the metal members 12 extend upwardly and inwardlyfrom the inner sides of the stack 10 and the inwardly extending ends 14may be spaced angularly from each other and spaced vertically from eachother, as shown. That is, ample space is provided between the upwardlyand inwardly extending ends 14 to permit free passage of the steam andother gaseous products from the stack 10. The other ends of the metalmembers 12, indicated at 16, extend outwardly of the discharge stack 10and out of contact with the upwardly moving stream of steam and othergaseous products. Accordingly, the outwardly projecting end portions 16reduce the temperature of the upwardly and inwardly projecting ends 14by conduction of heat away from the end portions 14 whereby steam iscondensed into water onto the inwardly extending ends 14, as indicatedat 17. The condensed water then flows down the sloping end portions 14of the metal members 12 toward the inner sides of the discharge stack10.

To remove the condensed water from the discharge stack 10, an annularcollector ring 18 is mounted adjacent the inner surface of the dischargestack 10 at an elevation below the metal members 12 whereby the water ofcondensation flows into the collector ring 18, as sown in FIG. 2.Preferably, the collector ring 18 is provided with a horizontal flangel9 and a vertical flange 21 whereby it defines with the inner surface ofthe stack 10 an annular groove which extends all the way around theinner surface of the discharge stack 10. Communicating with thecollector ring 18 through an opening 22 in the stack 10 is a dischargeconduit 23 which removes the collected water from the ring 18.

From the foregoing description, the operation of my improved apparatusshown in FIGS. 1 and 2 will be readily understood. With the metalmembers 12 thus installed on the discharge stack 10, the steam and othergaseous products engage the inwardly extending ends 14 of the metalmembers 112 as they flow upwardly toward the discharge end of the stack10. As the steam and gaseous products engage the cool end portions 14 ofthe metal members 12, the steam is condensed into water 17 onto the endportions 14 whereupon the water then flows down the inclined endportions 14 to the ad jacent inner sides of the stack 10 whereupon thewater then flows down the inner surface of the stack 10 into thecollector ring 18. The water is then removed through the dischargeconduit 23.

In FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawing, I show a modified form of my inventionin which radially extending metal members 12a extend through theinsulation members 13 mounted in the openings lll provided in thedischarge stack 10. The inner ends of the metal members 12a, indicatedat 14a converge toward the center of the discharge stack 10, as clearlyshown in FIGQ3. Also, the inner ends 14a extend upwardly and inwardly ofthe stack 10, as shown in FIG. 4, whereby the water 17 condensed ontothe inwardly extending end portions 14a flows downwardly toward theadjacent inner sides of the stack 10 and is finally collected in thecollector ring 18 described hereinabove. The other ends of the metalmembers 12a, indicated at Ma, extend outwardly of the discharge stack 10and out of contact with the upwardly removing stream of steam and othergaseous products flowing through the stack 10. Accordingly, the endportions 164 bring about a reduction in the temperature of the endportions due to the conduction of heat by the outwardly projecting endportions 16a. The water collected in the collector ring 18 is removed bythe conduit 23, as described hereinabove relative to the apparatus shownin FIGS. 1 and 2.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that I have devised an improvedsystem for removing steam from a discharge stack carrying steam andother gaseous products. The metal members 12 are formed of a highthermal conductivity metal, such as aluminum whereby there is a rapidtransfer of heat from the inwardly projecting ends which extend inwardlyof the stack to the outwardly projecting ends positioned outwardly ofthe stack. Accordingly, no elaborate cooling system is required formaintaining the inwardly projecting ends of the metal members at aproper temperature to change the steam into water as the staem passesthe inwardly projecting ends of the metal members. Also, by providing anannular collector ring adjacent the inner surface of the stack inposition to continuously receive the condensed water, the water iscontinuously removed by the discharge conduit to a loction outwardly ofthe discharge stack. Furthermore, by providing a system for removingsteam from the discharge stack which does not require complicatedequipment, I not only reduce the cost of installation but greatly reducethe maintenance costs after the system is put into operation.

While I have shown my invention in but two forms, it will be obvious tothose skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptibleof various other changes and modifications without departing from thespirit thereof.

What i claim is: 1. ln apparatus for removing steam from a moving columnof steam and other gaseous products:

a. a discharge stack carrying said column of steam and other gaseousproducts, b. a plurality of elongated metal members each having highthermal conductivity with one portion thereof extending upwardly andinwardly within said stack from a side thereof and another portionthereof extending outwardly of said stack,

c. means supporting each said metal member with said one portion inposition to be contacted by said steam and other gaseous products andwith said another portion out of contact with said steam and othergaseous products so that said another portion reduces the temperature ofsaid one portion by conduction of heat away from said one portionwhereby steam is condensed into water onto said one portion of saidmetal member,

. collector means including a collector ring mounted at the innersurface of said stack receiving said water condensed onto said oneportion of said metal members, and

e. water discharge means communicating with said collector means.

2. Apparatus for removing steam from a moving column as defined in claim1 in which a plurality of said metal members extend through said stackand are spaced angularly from each other.

3. Apparatus for removing steam from a moving column as defined in claim2 in which at least some of said metal members are spaced verticallyfrom each other.

4. Apparatus for removing steam from a moving column as defined in claim2 in which heat insulation means is mounted between said metal membersand said stack reducing the conduction of heat from said stack to saidmetal members.

1. In apparatus for removing steam from a moving column of steam andother gaseous products: a. a discharge stack carrying said column ofsteam and other gaseous products, b. a plurality of elongated metalmembers each having high thermal conductivity with one portion thereofextending upwardly and inwardly within said stack from a side thereofand another portion thereof extending outwardly of said stack, c. meanssupporting each said metal member with said one portion in position tobe contacted by said steam and other gaseous products and with saidanother portion out of contact with said steam and other gaseousproducts so that said another portion reduces the temperature of saidone portion by conduction of heat away from said one portion wherebysteam is condensed into water onto said one portion of said metalmember, d. collector means including a collector ring mounted at theinner surface of said stack receiving said water condensed onto said oneportion of said metal members, and e. water discharge meanscommunicating with said collector means.
 2. Apparatus for removing steamfrom a moving column as defined in claim 1 in which a plurality of saidmetal members extend through said stack and are spaced angularly fromeach other.
 3. Apparatus for removing steam from a moving column asdefined in claim 2 in which at least some of said metal members arespaced vertically from each other.
 4. Apparatus for removing steam froma moving column as defined in claim 2 in which heat insulation means ismounted between said metal members and said stack reducing theconduction of heat from said stack to said metal members.